For Trooper Lane, PIT stop was all in a night's work

Trooper Michael Lane (Courtesy photo)

LEBANON - Maine State Police Trooper Michael Lane probably knew he was going to make a pit stop or two during his nighttime shift in Lebanon Wednesday, but turns out one of the pit stops he made help collar what appears to be a career criminal and drug trafficker.

PIT stands for "Precision Immobilizing Technique." Lane used his cruiser to carry out the maneuver on sparsely populated Heath Road in Lebanon, ending a 40 mile, 45-minute chase by police from multiple agencies after Berwick resident Charles Bill initiated the pursuit failing to stop for Somersworth Police after committing several motor vehicle violations around 9:40 p.m.

After Somersworth Police called the chase off when Bill entered Berwick and sped north on Route 236, Berwick Patrol Officer Kevin Ledoux and Sgt. Steve Shisler began their pursuit into Lebanon where Lane was on routine patrol.

"I got the call from dispatch that they were heading down West Lebanon Road," Lane said today. "I attempted to communicate with them on various frequencies and we were able to connect. I was at the intersection of Route 202 and West Lebanon Road so I began trying to catch up."

Charles Bill

Lane headed north on West Lebanon Road, then took Rochester Road to River Road to Milton Road in an effort to catch up with the pursuit.

"I caught up on Champion (Strett)," Lane said and became a secondary pursuit vehicle with the two Berwick cruisers in front.

Lane said it wasn't really a high-speed chase as speeds hovered around 35-45 mph, and luckily being a weeknight, there was little traffic on the roads.

As the pursuit neared Heath Road in Lebanon, Lane said he radioed Berwick officers traveling in front of him.

"I told them if I could get in position I could utilize the PIT maneuver and try to end the chase," Lane said. "They radioed OK and I moved ahead of them."

With Bill now on Heath Road, Lane knew it was the time to act.

"It's pretty quiet out there and I didn't want him to get to a more crowded area," Lane said.

So it was time for the PIT.

While driving about 40 mph, Lane steered the passenger front quarter of his cruiser into the rear driver's side quarter of Bill's 2002 Mitsubishi Gallant, causing it to spin out and come to a stop.

"Then we executed a high risk stop with Berwick Officers ordering Bill out of his vehicle and me securing the suspect," Lane said.

Bill was then transported to York Jail by the Berwick officers.

Lane said he was certified in executing the dangerous maneuver during State Police training, and it worked perfectly.

There were no injuries to either Lane or Bill and only minimal damage to his cruiser.

"It was a good multi-agency stop," said Lane, who grew up in Medfield, Mass., and just became a State Trooper last April.

Bill, meanwhile, was charged with eluding police, probation violations out of New Hampshire and Maine and aggravated trafficking in Schedule "W" Drugs for attempting to conceal more than 40 grams of heroin in a body cavity while being admitted to the York County Jail.

He will be arraigned on the charges today in Springvale District Court.

Milton Police as well as State Police from New Hampshire also assisted.